Apparatus for heating by combustion without flame



v M. MATHY.

APPARATUS FOR HEATING BY COMBUSTION WITHOUT FLAME.

APPLICATION FILED "n.4, 1919.

1,388,355. Patented Aug. 23, 1921. 1 5 Egi A-V// 2 J n o 4e 6 -12 1,4 .1 z I20 12 g 11 I v 21L h A? J9 @W Illa/71y f UNITED STATES PATENT: OFFICE.

MAURICE KATHY, OF FLEMALLE-GRAINDE, BELGIUM.

APPARATUS FOR HEATING BY COMBUSTION WITHOUT FLAME.-

Application filed. April 4,-

,To all whom it may concern.-

ence being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked therein, which form a part of this l muflle furnace.

specification.

The present invention relates to apparatus for heating by combustion without flame, in which a gaseous mixture burns in the heart of amass of fragments of porous refractory material. It relates more particularly to the regulation in such apparatus of the temperature obtained in the various parts to be heated. This regulation of the temperature according to circumstances may in particular be of great importance in various metallurgical or chemical operations. It is applicable for instance in the case of enameling an article one of the faces of which has to be enameled with an enamel having a melt ing point different from that of the enamel covering the other faces.-

The desired result may be obtained by applying the observed fact that is the case of the flameless combustion of a gaseous mixture in the heart of a mass of fragments of porous refractory material the temperature obtained is the higher according as the fragments of refractory porous material amongst which.and in which the gaseous mixture circulates are smaller in size. This is explained by the fact that in the latter casethe gases undergo a much more intimate mixing than in the case where the abovementioned fragments are of greater size.

It is to be observed thatby taking this .fact as a basis it is also possible to obtain a uniform temperature throughout the path of the gases in the mass of the said fragments by making the size of the fragments decrease from the place where the gases enter to the place where they leave.

Moreover the invention also provides for a fiameless-combustion .heating apparatus the wall of which is divided into a number of sections forming boxes containing refrac Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug. 23, 1921.

1919. Serial No. 287,657.

tory material in fragments of a definite'size.

The gaseous mixture may be either intro-- duced into each of these boxes separately or may circulate from one'to the other.

The drawings accompanying the present specification show, by way of example, certa n constructional forms of the invention. In these drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through the cible.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the axis of an apparatus serving to heat a crucible in another application of the invention. Flg. 3 1s a horizontal section through a Fig. 4 is a horizontal section through a muffle furnace in another application of the invention.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on line 55 in Fig. 6 of a furnace consisting of separate boxes assembled together.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section on line 6-6 in Fig. 5 of the same furnace, and

axis of an apparatus serving to heat a cru-' Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation through the y axis of a crucible placed in a crucible furnace for glassware.

Fig. 1 relates to the case in which predetermined temperatures have to be obtained in particular parts of the crucible 1. The gaseous mixture passes through one of the apertures 3 or 4 in the furnace 2 and burns while passing through the mass of fragments of porous refractory material interposed between the said crucible 1 and the walls of the furnace 2. In order to heat the regions H, I, J and K of the crucible more intensely the fragments of refractory material located at 5, 6, 7 and 8 are made smaller than those located in the neighborhood of the regions of the crucible not requiring to be heated to such a high temperature.

Fig. 2 relates to the case in which the tem-.

perature has to be uniform throughout the height of the crucible 9. With this end in view, in order to remedy the progressive im-' poverishment of the gases as they penetrate into the mass of fragments of porous refractory material and begin to burn, the fragments of the abovementioned material de- .-crease in size from the entrance 10 of the gases right to their outlet 11.

material are arranged against the 15. With this end in view the fragments of porous refractory material between the walls 16 of the said furnace and the wall 17 of the muffle are smaller at 18 than at 19 and 20.

In the case of Fig. 4, which also relates to a muffle furnace, the fragments of porous refractory'material are arranged in such a way that the highest temperature is produced against the walls of the mufile 23. Moreover the cover of, this furnace consists of a box inside which flameless combustion also takes place. 1

In this way the heating part completely surrounds the body 22. to be heated. In order to insure the production of the highest temperature toward the interior of the furnace the smallest fragments of porous refractory walls of the mufiie 23 and the largest against the walls 24 of the furnace.

The outer wall 21 of the box, constituting the cover of the said furnace, is of the same material as the wall of the furnace and of substantially equal thickness. The inner wall 25 of the said box is of the same material as the wall of the muffle and of substantially equal thickness. The sides 26 and 27, which are inclined at 45, as are the walls 28 and 29, which serve to retain the fragments of porous refractory material, consist of porous plates or of plates pierced with holes in that the gases can circulate all flow through the body such a way as to allow the Igaseous mixture to the spaces F and G. The lower and upper faces of the said box are made either of porous plates or plates pierced with holes or elseof material similar to that which constitutes the walls of the furnace. It is to be observed that the walls 17 and 23 of the mufiles shown in Figs. 3 and 4 respectively may also be pierced with holes of larger or smaller size so as to insure more direct heating (by radiation'for example) of to be heated.

It is to be observed that if the muffle is of porous material the combination will also be able to take place in the wall of the said muflie.

In the case of Figs. 5 and 6, the furnace is formed by assembling boxes similar to the one that serves as a cover for the muffle furnace in Fig. 4. The furnace consists of six boxes 30, 31, 32, 33, 34 and 35 forming the six faces of a rectangular parallelepiped. The walls of these boxes designated by the .letter L each consist of 'a refractory plate or of a plate pierced with holes in such a way around the body 36 to be heated. The said gases will enter throu hone of the two openings 37 and 38 and wi 1 leave by the other.

It goesTwithout saying that a furnace arranged in the manner specified above may be constructed around the article to be heated without displacing the latter.

In theca'se of-the application illustrated in Fig. 7 the front wall-of a furnace 41 for a crucible 40' for glassware consists of a box 39 similar to the one that serves as a cover to the furnace and mufile shown in'Fig. 4.

This arrangement is particularly advantageous for the purpose of facilitating the removal of the crucible 40. J

What I claim is:

1. Heating apparatus comprising a mass of fragments of different sizes of porous, refractory material, in the heart of which flameless combustion of a gaseous -mixture takes place; said mass embodying different definite zones. in which the fragments of small ,size are arranged, to obtain particularly high temperatures in such zones.

2. Heating apparatus forburning a gaseous mixture, comprisin a mass of fragments of different sizes 0 porous, refractory material; the fragments progressively decreasing in size from the point where the gases enter the apparatus to the point where they leave it, to obtain an uniform temperature throughout the path of the gases in said mass. 1

3. A furnace having one or more of its material in the heart of which flameless combus ion of a gaseous mixture takes place, the con acting walls of the boxes being constructed to permit the gases to pass from one box to another.

5. In a furnace heated by the flameless combustion of a gaseous mixture in the heart of a mass of fragments of porous refractory material, a cover consisting of a box inside which flameless combustion takes place.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MAURICE MATHY.

Witnesses:

ALBERT BRUSA, LEONARD Lana. 

